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Cyhist Feb 11 1997 H
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Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 17:39:29 -0500
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: "A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Information Security"
<PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>
Subject: CM> Software complexity, microprocessors.
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>That programs are now so large, and authored by so many people, has changed the architecture of software. When people talk of programs that program themselves, or teaching computers to teach themselves, it seems partly a reflection that, with the relentless velocity of Moore's Law, this is, de facto, the ultimate solution, since people can no longer keep pace, and write software that takes advantage of the microprocessor's remarkable capacity.
Could be mistaken but does anyone remmber the stories about the An/ALQ 161(?) software system for the B-1 that was composed of many modules from many vendors that would not play when assembled in one place ? Am afraid it is nothing new.
However my anti-virus work is an example: (all FreeWare so not a commercial plug 8*). DiskSecure runs *underneath* any operating system on a PC and have designed to work on anything - last real revison was in 1993 but runs under Win95 on a Pentium Pro 200 - that comes from understanding the envelope.
Am having real problems converting my WORD macro anrtivirus macro to Office 97 though because the documentation is sparce and often is wrong. Have managed to get it working through sheer brute force but do not like working that way (beta is available at http://www.netmind.com/~padgett/index.html under "AntiVirus Hobby if you dare 8*).
On the antivirus lists there has been a lot of griping by the vendors about the same lack of documentation but what I have seen so far has led me to the conclusion that the documentation is so bad because *Microsoft has no one who knows* for exactly the reason David says, it has gotten too complex.
Have been there a few times before with software- so many patches that the original thread is lost so that a total rewrite was the only answer.
However, when multiplied by a few million lines of code plus deadlines and it is *never* done (am not even sure anyone *could* do it). Of course the myriad of inane gimmick does not help - animation may be nice but the ability to replace that idiot paper clip (Clipit) with "Scribble the Cat" (never had a comuter meow at me before) in the help screens while failing to add a simple "turn off all macros" switch really makes you wonder about Redmond's priorities.
This is getting waaaay off CYHist (though in twenty years it might be interesting for a hystorian to try to figure out what we were talking about. But would seem to be the never ending repetition of organisms which grow until they lose touch with reality. Seventeen years ago this same over-reliance on inherantly unreliable elements caused the disaster in the Iranian desert. 85 years ago a few thousand people placed similar faith in yet another juggernaut. Just today people are putting their money where their mouse is.
10,000,000 lemmings can't be wrong.
Warmly,
Padgett
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: "A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Information Security"
<PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>
Subject: CM> Software complexity, microprocessors.
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>That programs are now so large, and authored by so many people, has changed the architecture of software. When people talk of programs that program themselves, or teaching computers to teach themselves, it seems partly a reflection that, with the relentless velocity of Moore's Law, this is, de facto, the ultimate solution, since people can no longer keep pace, and write software that takes advantage of the microprocessor's remarkable capacity.
Could be mistaken but does anyone remmber the stories about the An/ALQ 161(?) software system for the B-1 that was composed of many modules from many vendors that would not play when assembled in one place ? Am afraid it is nothing new.
However my anti-virus work is an example: (all FreeWare so not a commercial plug 8*). DiskSecure runs *underneath* any operating system on a PC and have designed to work on anything - last real revison was in 1993 but runs under Win95 on a Pentium Pro 200 - that comes from understanding the envelope.
Am having real problems converting my WORD macro anrtivirus macro to Office 97 though because the documentation is sparce and often is wrong. Have managed to get it working through sheer brute force but do not like working that way (beta is available at http://www.netmind.com/~padgett/index.html under "AntiVirus Hobby if you dare 8*).
On the antivirus lists there has been a lot of griping by the vendors about the same lack of documentation but what I have seen so far has led me to the conclusion that the documentation is so bad because *Microsoft has no one who knows* for exactly the reason David says, it has gotten too complex.
Have been there a few times before with software- so many patches that the original thread is lost so that a total rewrite was the only answer.
However, when multiplied by a few million lines of code plus deadlines and it is *never* done (am not even sure anyone *could* do it). Of course the myriad of inane gimmick does not help - animation may be nice but the ability to replace that idiot paper clip (Clipit) with "Scribble the Cat" (never had a comuter meow at me before) in the help screens while failing to add a simple "turn off all macros" switch really makes you wonder about Redmond's priorities.
This is getting waaaay off CYHist (though in twenty years it might be interesting for a hystorian to try to figure out what we were talking about. But would seem to be the never ending repetition of organisms which grow until they lose touch with reality. Seventeen years ago this same over-reliance on inherantly unreliable elements caused the disaster in the Iranian desert. 85 years ago a few thousand people placed similar faith in yet another juggernaut. Just today people are putting their money where their mouse is.
10,000,000 lemmings can't be wrong.
Warmly,
Padgett
______________________________________________________________________
